Younger Next Year for Women: Live Strong, Fit, & Sexy... Until You're 80 & Beyond

Younger Next Year for Women is the women’s version of a popular book written for men that purports to have the solution for healthy aging. The authors propose a seven-point plan that includes exercise six days a week and promote an optimistic ideal of aging. They suggest that a disciplined regimen of exercise, smoking cessation, weight training, healthy eating, and meaningful emotional connections can reduce the risk of premature death by 70%. There are practical tips and case studies of happy, active, and productive seniors who followed the seven-point mantra. The message is that one can personally control aging and have vital and healthy final years.

The major drawbacks of this book, as with any self-help publication, involve the ability of the reader to translate the authors’ message into practice. A six-day-a-week exercise program is a lofty ambition and, for some women, should not be implemented without medical supervision. The thesis is a well-organized reiteration of recommendations that clinicians give to their patients every day, and the scientific data has been simplified to support this thesis. The chapter on hormone therapy does not include age-specific reevaluation of data from the Women’s Health Initiative on the lack of cardiovascular risk in women under age 60. I found the book somewhat lengthy and repetitive.

In general, however, I think the majority of readers will find this book valuable. The authors’ infectious enthusiasm for the benefits of exercise could translate into a better quality of life for aging women!

The comments contained here are opinions or information of the reviewers and not necessarily the opinions or information of The North American Menopause Society, its officers, agents, or Trustees. Oversight for the book reviews is given by David A. Hutchins, MD, a member of the NAMS Consumer Education Committee.